Lady&#39;s lighted handbag



July 28, 1953 J. A. coN'rr-:N-ro 2,647,201

` LADYPS LIGHTED HANDBAG Filed Nov. 17. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 28, 1953 J. A. coNTENTo 2,647,201

LADY's LIGHTED HANDBAG Filednov. 17, 195o 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l l I 29 33 $3 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS verse ends 49 which define spring members that serve to urge the batteries 45 toward each other, and also serve to electrically connect opposite ends of the pair of batteries 45 together. A pair of coil springs 50 are provided, Figures 2 'and 3, and the coil springs 50 serve to normally maintain or urge the transverse ends 49 into engagement with the respective ends of the batteries 45. A hingeconstruction hingedly connects a door 52 to the housing 36, and the hinge construction 5| also hingedly connects doors 53 and 54 to the housing 36. A knob 55 is secured to the door 52, there being a knob 56 secured to the door 53, and a similar knob- 51 secured to the other door 54, Figure 7. The doors 52 and 54 are adapted to be swung open when the batteries 45 are to be replaced. The door 53 is adapted to be swung open when the user desires to gain access to the light bulb 58, the light bulb 5B being maintained between the pair of batteries 45 by suitable spring clips 59, Figure 3.

A plurality of latches 6| are secured to the top member 31 of the housing 36 by suitable securing elements, such as rivets 62,. and the latches 6| serve to maintain the doors 52, 53 and 54 in their locked or closed positions. Referring to Figure 5, it will be seen that the door 53 can be swung down or pivoted about the hinge 5| so that it closes the opening 44 in the bottom member 38. With the door 53 in the position shown in Figure 5, the light rays from the bulb 58 will pass out or be emitted through the front of the housing 36 to enable the lighting mechanism to be used as a mechanism for facilitating the unlocking of doors or other uses. A suitable corrugated mirror or reflector member 63 is arranged 'above Vand rearwardly of the light bulb 58, so that the light rays will be more efficiently reflected into the .interior of the pocketbook.

' A switchis provided for enabling the user to control the energization or actuation of the light bulb 58. This switch is designated by the numeral 64 and includes a knob 65 which may be knurled, and the knob 65 is secured to the outer end of a stem 68. The stem 68 is adapted to ride or move in a bayonet slot, and the bayonet slot includes a vertical portion 66 and a horizontal portion 61. A washer 69 is mounted on the inner end of the stem 68, Figure 2. When the parts of the switch are in the position shown in Figure 2, the battery 45 (left side of Figure 2) will bein electrical contact with the light bulb 58, so that the bulb will be energized, but when the stem 68 is moved by means of the head 65 so that the stem 68 is positioned in the vertical portion 66 of the bayonet slot, when the battery 45 on the left side of Figures 2 and 3, will be vforced against the spring 49 and out of electrical contact with the bulb 58, so that the bulb 58 will not be energized.

Referring to Figure l2 of the drawings, there is shown a slightly modified arrangement wherein a double unit is provided instead of the single unit of Figures 1 through 11. Thus, in Figure 12, four of the batteries 45 are arranged in a housing 36', the housing 36 including a bottom member 38' that is provided with a pair of the cutouts 44 for the passage therethrough of the light rays. A pair of light bulbs 58 are arranged in the housing 36', and a switch 64 is provided for controlling the actuation of the light bulb 58. Otherwise, the construction of the lighting assembly of Figure 12 is the same as the previously-described construction.

4 33, the latches 42 projecting through the apertures 32 in the ears 3| to maintain the housing 36 connected to the section 26. Then, to actuate the light bulb 58, the switch 64 is arranged so that its stem 68 is seated in the horizontal portion 61 of the bayonet slot. Thus, the electrical circuit will be completed through the connecting strip 46, through the transverse ends 49, then through the pair of batteries 45 and the light bulb 58 will be energized. Thelight rays from the bulb 58 will be emitted through the slot 44 in the bottom of the housing 36, so that the contents of the pocketbook can be readily observed. To turn off the light bulb 58, the switch 64 is arranged or moved so that its stem 68 is seated in the vertical portion 66 of the bayonet slot. This forces the left battery 45, Figures 2 and 3, over against the spring 49 and the circuit is broken. The corrugated mirror 63 insures that the light rays will be efciently diffused or reflected into the pocketbook. Also, the door 63 can be arranged so that the light rays pass downwardly through the slot 44, as shown in Figure 1, or the door 53 can be arranged as shown in Figure 5, so that the light rays pass out of the front of the housing, whereby the light can be used for facilitating the opening of doors in the dark, or other purposes. The doors 52 and 54 can be swung open when the batteries 45 are to be replaced, and the door 53 can be opened when the light bulb 58 is to be repaired or replaced.

The end plates 4| can be manually depressed inwardly when the housing 36 is to be removed f against the spring metal ends 49 and the spring .-In;use.v the housing 36 is supported on the lips 75 ends 49 serve to normally urge the batteries together.

The illuminating means of the present inven tion can also be used for locating names on 'z houses or mail boxes in apartment houses during the dark, and a mirror may be arranged in the pocketbook if desired. Also, it will be seen that the storage part of the handbag is free and clear of any interference from batteries, wires or the like, and the handbag may be of any desired shape or form. The assembly of Figure 12 includes two of the lamps 58 and four batteries 45, so that this assembly can be used for pocketbooks which have an exceptionally great length. The handbag can be made of any suitable material, and the corrugated reflector 63 provides that the light rays will be eiciently reflected. Also, the entire unit can be removed if desired.

I claim:

l. In a ladys, illuminated handbag, a pair of sections hingedly connected together, each of said sections including a side wall, a pair of spaced parallel end walls and a top wall. coacting locking means on said top wall for maintaining said sections in their closed position, a pair of apertured ears extending downwardly from the top wall of one of said sections, lips extending inwardly from the end wall of said one section, a housing supported on said lips, spring latches projecting from the ends of said housing into engagement with said apertured ears. said housing including a top and bottom member. and a back member, said bottom member being provided with a slot for the passage therethrough of light rays, a pair of batteries arfd ranged in said housing, and extending longitudinally therethrough a light bulb interposed between said pair of batteries, a corrugated mirror positioned rearwardly of said bulb, a metal strip electrically connecting said batteries together, and a switch for actuating said light bulb.

2. The apparatus as described in claim 1, and further including doors for gaining access to said batteries and light bulb.

3. In a ladys, illuminated handbag, a pair of sections hingedly connected together, each of said sections including a side wall, a pair of end walls and a top wall, coacting locking means on said top wall for maintaining said sections in `their closed position, a pair of apertured ears through of light rays, a pair of batteries arranged in said housing and extending longitudinally therethrough, a light bulb interposed between said pair of batteries, a mirror positioned rearwardly of said bulb, a metal strip electrically connecting said batteries together, and a switch for actuating said light bulb.

JOSEPH A. CONTENTO.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 953,425 Miller Mar. 29, 1910 1,184,146 Sundh May 23, 1916 1,321,026 Freed et al. Nov. 4, 1919 1,988,555 Harase Jan. 22, 1935 2,299,148 Johnson Oct.- 20, 1942 2,465,029 Meggs Mar. 22, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 883,555 France Mar. 29, 1943 

